I have long been following the North Korea-Burmese connection and now even further developments are coming about the two countries ties:

Lawyers plan to file an appeal against the death sentences on two of their clients handed down by the special court in Burma yesterday for allegedly leaking official secrets to the public.

The two former high ranking officers of the regime were sentenced to death in a secret trial by the court sitting inside Insein prison for leaking information about tours made by two junta leaders to Russia and North Korea.

According to Insein prison sources, the lawyers planned the appeal process today for the two clients, retired Major Win Naing Kyaw and upper division clerk Thura Kyaw from the Foreign Ministry, Europe Affairs Department.

“The lawyers Htun Aung, Myo Aung and Khin Maung Myint co-signed on the criminal power to represent retired Major Win Naing Kyaw and they plan to file the appeal today. We also learnt that Thura Kyaw’s lawyer is planning to file an appeal for his client,” a source close to Insein prison told Mizzima.

Reports of secret trips of Vice Senior General Maung Aye and Gen. Thura Shwe Mann were leaked on the internet and to Burmese media outside the country in mid 2009. Retired Major Win Naing Kyaw, Thura Kyaw a.k.a. Aung Aung Ko and a commoner Go Byan Sein a.k.a. Ah See were arrested, tried and handed death sentence plus 20 years imprisonment, death sentence plus 15 years imprisonment and 15 years imprisonment respectively by Rangoon North District court sitting inside the Insein prison yesterday.  [Mizzima]

Robert Neff over at the Marmot’s Hole has an extensive post on the players involved along with pictures of the tunnels that is worth checking out as well.

Besides these tunnels it was also leaked last year that Burma was also seeking the construction of nuclear facilities with the assistance of the Russians and North Koreans.  The North Koreans have also been linked to tunneling projects in support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and in suport of Iran’s nuclear program.

Now why again did former President Bush take the North Koreans off the State Sponsors of Terrorism List?